Gone
by Inksomnia
Summary: He always noticed her little smile. But now it was gone.


Natsu was an easygoing person.

He was loud and well-known; everyone seemed to know him, and was liked by everyone. He was smart, somewhat good looking, and regularly just burst out into song in the middle of the hallways. He paid no special attention to just one person, but instead talked to everyone around him.

On the other hand, Lucy was a quiet and smart person that was still quite known, but not in the same sense as Natsu. People could recognize her face from the classes they had with her and converse with her for a bit. She had neither a bad reputation nor an amazing one; she just attended classes as she was supposed to, smiled, and hoped that she wouldn't become involved in any major drama.

But Natsu was the kind of person who actually made Lucy feel important once he engaged in conversation with her. It was sort of hard to catch his attention and talk to him for more than a few seconds, but when she did, he would always make her laugh with his stupid comments, always with a stupid grin on his face. Then he moved on to talk to another person just like that, and she would feel…a bit lonely.

Call it a minor friend crush, perhaps.

It always made Lucy's day, when Natsu would make hilarious comments about the assigned work during the class period, and all the students would branch off into another whole different conversation, including the teacher. Even more so when he came up to her and asked her with help on a math problem or something.

But today Lucy was done.

'_Tears streamed down her face as she held her fragile mother's hand. The woman she adored for a short seventeen years looked so pale and worn out. She couldn't die now. There were so many years ahead, an infinity of possibilities that never will be lived. Unbearable misery, a burden too strong for a young woman, weighed heavily on her. The vulnerable girl hugged mother until dawn, when the last words, 'I love you, I will always be with you from the stars,' slipped from her feverish lips.'_

The pain was still fresh, and it was renewed every day with that short memory. She felt empty, with absolutely no life inside. Ever since her mother's death this past summer, she had no priority or motivation to go to school whatsoever.

Yet her father didn't understand. He was forcing her to attend school, almost threatening her if she didn't. Ever since Layla's death, he buried himself in his work and became obsessed with his business. It only took a short month before he completely changed. He didn't even think to pay attention to his daughter, to comfort her; instead he took out all his pent up grief on her and became somewhat abusive and controlling. And at the very least he would understand that Lucy actually needed some healing time before being exploited to the world in her defenseless state.

Lucy thought over her mother's last words over and over again as she entered her first period of the first day of school.

* * *

><p>Natsu was feeling confident and refreshed, which was an unusual emotion for the end of summer break.<p>

He walked through the halls of the school with only a thin binder and rejuvenated with a good attitude. He had a lopsided grin on his face, shouting quick greetings to everyone that passed with an occasional hi five to good friends.

The pink haired boy barely managed to slip into the classroom before the bell rung, followed with the panicked rush of students outside. Natsu felt slightly bad for those stragglers; they were in eleventh grade, and the teachers expected them to be on time, even on the first day.

He took a seat and analyzed his math class. Erza was in here, so was Levy; Loke, Cana, Bisca, and Gray….

Crap.

Gray.

He had to start off his day with that ice princess.

Just that fact alone made Natsu sulk in his chair, his mood reduced to the groggy ones like those around him. He knew it was immature, but come on, he had to start _every day_ with that imbecile? That's just cruel.

The teacher, Mrs. Evergreen, began to drone on about procedures and introductions. When that boring speech was over, she began to assign some classwork when someone asked a question.

"Mrs. Evergreen, I have a problem with number four…"

The voice sounded familiar, so Natsu perked up to see the sound source. He saw a head of blonde hair and big brown eyes when he realized that it was Lucy.

But there was one problem.

Her smile was gone.

* * *

><p><strong>Hey guys, I hoped you liked that short little intro thingy. I'm SOOO sorry I haven't updated anything in a long time, school started and the tests and projects happen. I have been working on TDG, but, hehe...I don't have any ideas...<strong>

**Anyways, byeeeee!**


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